One of the most dispiriting things in life is when we have no sense of agency.

Agency is the sense that I can do something about a problem, that I can make a difference, that I have some control over the situation in which I find myself.

We rarely have any sense of agency as such; we become aware of it when we don’t have it.

When agency disappears

We see this sense of “I have no agency” in societies, clubs, businesses … and in churches. People sensing their lack of agency feel that they are irrelevant, and just opt out.

Ask people why they abandon the Church; often it results from a sense of having no agency. For example: my life does not fit their model. The Church thinks I’m a mess, but I cannot change to be the sort they want. There is nothing left of me, so I go my own way.

Once a Christian encounters this sense of lacking religious agency, it can rot faith. Many pastors do not even realise there is such a problem.

Acknowledge the problem

But the sense of lack of agency in the church is far wider.

They express this when they say: ‘they want us simply to pray, pay and obey.’

But the sense of lack of agency in the Church is far wider.

They express this when they say, “They want us simply to pray, pay, and obey.”

Many feel that if they try to make their views heard, they are ignored.

It might be pointing out that a presbyter is unsuited to his situation, and the reply: you are lucky to have one.

It might be relating to a larger issue, but again they feel that the concerns will make no difference.

There is too often the quick-fire reply, “That’s Church teaching,” with the hint that this is unchanging or somehow the last word.

Voices not heard

But the central problem remains.

We can make our voice audible; we cannot make it heard.

Often our most significant problems result from where there was no pope, cardinal, or bishop listening. This leads to breakdown in the Body of Christ; hierarchs on one side, the baptised on the other.

We shouted, you did not hear.

Reclaiming agency in faith

We, as the whole Church, need to re-evaluate the notion of agency among the baptised.

Jesus came that we might have life and have it to the full (Jn 10:10).

We profess the Spirit comes at baptism to empower us.

The Gospel is about our empowerment. It is about agency in the face of darkness and evil, and even giving us agency in the face of death itself.

The acid test

Good pastoral leadership can be tested by asking this: does this sister or brother feel empowered with the gifts of the Spirit for the building up of the Church?

If a sense of agency is increased, we are on the right path.

If it is diminished, then those in leadership ministry are failing.

• Thomas O’Loughlin is a presbyter of the Catholic Diocese of Arundel and Brighton and professor-emeritus of historical theology at the University of Nottingham (UK). His latest book is Discipleship and Society in the Early Churches.
• His latest book is “Shaping the Assembly: How Our Buildings form us in Worship”.